Anti-Steroid Lessons Should Start Early, Sports Panel Says

Anti-steroid education should begin in grade school, according to a panel of sports organizations created by a congressional committee.

The Zero Tolerance Roundtable was organized by Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, R-Va., the chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, and included representatives from Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The panel’s Aug. 30 report says the federal government should “push the Department of Education to work with the Department of Health and Human Services to make kids aware of the dangers of steroids.”

Steroids, which are synthetic versions of testosterone, are used by some to enhance their strength and performance. However, the drugs have been linked to premature heart attacks, strokes, liver tumors, kidney failure, and serious psychiatric problems.

The report says that the major sports leagues should “come up with creative ways to increase revenue for education efforts,” and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness should focus more attention on steroid education.